The present invention relates to a hanger arrangement for V-type vertical engines and a hanger arrangement for outboard marine drives equipped with a V-type vertical engine.
An engine for an outboard marine drive is typically provided with hangers for the convenience of mounting and dismounting the engine into and out of the main body case, and mounting and dismounting the outboard marine drive onto or off the boat. The positions of the hangers are determined so that the engine or outboard marine drive may be hoisted in a stable manner. Japanese patent laid open (kokai) publication No. 10-175596 filed by the same applicant discloses an arrangement in which a hanger bracket is provided centrally in an upper end surface of a cylinder block of a vertical engine to hoist the engine or the outboard marine drive. Japanese patent laid-open publication No. 8-40378 discloses an arrangement in which a pair of hanger brackets are provided along a diagonal line passing through the gravitational center of the engine. In such a case, the hanger brackets must be provided in such parts that are capable of withstanding the hoisting load, and hanger brackets are typically secured to the cylinder block or cylinder head of the engine. However, various components and accessories are attached around the engine, and there are various restrictions regarding the positions for securing the hanger brackets. Furthermore, because the gravitational center is fixed, it is not always easy to select two positions on a diagonal line passing through the gravitational center.
In particular, in case of a V-type engine which is preferred as a high-output, large-displacement engine, it is difficult to secure two points on a diagonal line passing through the gravitational center.
In view of such problems of the prior art, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a hanger arrangement for hoisting a V-type vertical engine in a stable manner, and a hanger arrangement for an outboard marine drive equipped with such an engine.
A second object of the present invention is to provide a hanger arrangement for a V-type vertical engine which allows a high level of freedom in design and minimizes the interference with other accessories, and a hanger arrangement for an outboard marine drive equipped with such an engine.
According to the present invention, such objects can be accomplished by providing a hanger arrangement for V-type vertical engines having a substantially vertically oriented crankshaft, a cylinder block having a pair of cylinder axial lines disposed substantially horizontally and in a V-shape, a pair of cylinder heads each attached to a corresponding side of the cylinder block to define a combustion chamber, and a crankcase fixedly attached to another side of the cylinder block to define a crank chamber accommodating the crankshaft, comprising: a first and second hanger bracket attached to outer sides of the cylinder heads, respectively; and a third hanger bracket attached substantially centrally on an outer side of the crankcase.
Thus, the hanger brackets may be provided in the peripheral part of the engine which is relatively free from interferences, and the engine may be hoisted by three points surrounding the gravitational center of the engine or outboard marine drive. In particular, the restriction to the mounting of accessories and engine components can be minimized.
The mounting position for the generator tends to create a problem. However, even when the generator is attached to an outer side of the crankcase and having an input shaft extending vertically upward, the third hanger bracket can be attached to the outer side of the crankcase within a loop of an endless belt which is passed around a drive pulley fixedly attached to an upper end of the crankshaft and a driven pulley fixedly attached to the input shaft of the generator without any problem.
In particular, if the hanger brackets project upwardly from an upper end surface of the cylinder heads and crankcase, the hoisting work can be accomplished in an efficient way.
When an outboard marine drive is formed by connecting a propulsion unit to the lower end of the cylinder block of such an engine, the same hanger arrangement may be used for mounting the outboard marine drive onto and off the watercraft, and servicing the outboard marine drive, and hoisting the outboard marine drive as a whole.